(Image Credit: ANI)
India is warming up to host a football star Lionel Messi during his much anticipated India Tour 2025, which will take place in Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and may include Kerala. Although the fans are so excited to see one of the greatest footballers in history, issues of safety of the crowd have arisen in wake of previous tragedies. The Karur stampede in a religious event and the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede in a cricket game are somber incidents to be reminded of the potential dangers of handling such large crowds.
The Karur incident showed that inadequate management of crowds, small exits, and insufficient emergency preparedness may have disastrous results. The Chinnaswamy stampede, likewise, revealed a weak point in the structure and organization of stadiums, highlighting the necessity to carefully plan the organization of large scale events before receiving them. These incidents raise the important question, is it possible now that India is able to host a global sports superstar without a repeat of history?
These lessons are reportedly being taken seriously by authorities in hosting cities that are planned. Such measures under discussion are reduction of crowd sizes, tiered ticketing, addition of extra entry and exit points, and introduction of trained marshals to control crowds. Liaison with the police, fire, medical and traffic control authorities is also being given priority so that the response is quick in case of any emergency. Also, awareness campaigns can be held to inform people about the safety measures, such as instructions, overcrowding, and entry points. The magnitude of the appeal of Messi is not experienced anywhere in India before. It is anticipated that the fans of football around the nation will make efforts to be where he appears, and this can easily strain the infrastructure unless it is well managed. To ensure that crowding does not occur in sensitive places, organizers will probably be able to watch the number of people in the crowd real time and impose strict entry policies.
In spite of these efforts, there is still doubt. The fact that the visit of Messi is so high in excitement makes the possibility of unpredictable crowds even higher. Not only administrative planning, but also the cooperation of the people, will be needed to be successful. A successful implementation would turn the tour by Messi into a historic and safe event in the Indian sporting world, but any failure, however minor, would have disastrous consequences. In the end, the hosting of Messi in India will be a challenge to the event management in India. Through the lessons of the tragic incidents of Karur and Chinnaswamy, officials can establish new standards of safety at big events, where the fans can enjoy the presence of their idol with no apprehension.
Also Read: How To Book Tickets For Lionel Messi GOAT India Tour 2025? Check Here
A viral video from an IndiGo counter shows a distressed father begging staff for a…
The Gabba audience was completely taken by surprise when Marnus Labuschagne performed a spectacular full…
Shakti Dubey topped the UPSC 2024 exam by securing AIR 1 in her fifth attempt,…
